Gas-liquid contactor with wall obstructions and contacting method

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF CONTACTING A LIQUID AND A GAS BY CONCURRENT FLOW WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: (A) FLOWING A STREAM OF SAID GAS UPWARDS ALONG AN OPEN LINEAR PATH THROUGH A CONFINED CONTACTING ZONE, (B) SUPPLYING LIQUID FROM OUTSIDE SAID ZONE DIRECTLY TO SAID GAS STREAM AT A LOWER PART OF SAID ZONE AND ENTRAINING THE LIQUID IN THE GAS STREAM AS SMALL DROPLETS, (C) WITHIN SAID CONTACTING ZONE DEPOSITING SAID DROPLETS ON SURFACES SITUATED LATERALLY OF SAID PATH, COALESCING SAID DEPOSITED DROPLETS ON SAID SURFACES, AND REENTRAINING THE COALESCED LIQUID IN SAID GAS STREAM FROM SAID SURFACES, (D) ABOVE SAID CONTACTING ZONE IMPARTING TO SAID GAS STREAM AND THE LIQUID DROPLETS ENTRAINED THEREIN A ROTATING MOTION ABOUT THE VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID PATH AND THEREBY INERTIALLY FLINGING THE LIQUID DROPLETS OUTWARDS, (E) FLOWING SAID ROTATING STREAM THROUGH A CONFINED SEPARATING ZONE, COALESCING THE LIQUID DROPLETS AT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID ZONE, AND (F) SEPARATELY DISCHARGING THE COALESCED LIQUID FROM THE PERIPHERY OF SAID SEPARATING ZONE AND THE GAS FROM THE CENTRAL REGION OF SAID SEPARATING ZONE.